Who benefits from a PACT?
It is official; Poindexter Village is scheduled to be demolished. The 26-acre housing development will follow the faith of countless landmarks that were once beacons of black unity and accomplishment and the glue of the historic near-east side, Bronzeville district in Columbus, Ohio.
I will be the first to say that the neighborhood where I grew up and went to school is long overdue for some rehabilitation. With the tremendous growth that has taken place in Columbus in the past decade, there is now an intensified focus on my beloved neighborhood.
Sunday afternoon, I attended an event called “the Launch” at Columbus East High School. The purpose of the event was to formally introduce the changes that are coming to the near-east side. The city of Columbus has partnered with Ohio State University and Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) to revitalize the community and they are rallying behind a concept that has been titled PACT or Partners Achieving Community Transition.
The event was generally what I expected it to be. It was hosted by Angela Pace, a well-known news personality who has been around since before I can remember. There were speakers ranging from an East High student to Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman. They talked about the plans for the community and how the vision is a shared vision. They encouraged the audience to be part of the creation of what’s to come. Is it to much to ask for the guys on the corner to get the mic and share their vision of what they want the hood to look like?
I call this moment bittersweet. Although I am glad to see my hood get a much-needed face-lift, I must also consider what has already taken place. There have been some important buildings knocked down and in several cases there were expensive condos put up in their place. I cannot envision that changing. So I ask myself, who benefits from a PACT? If what I just saw is any indicator, I would have to say it’s the people controlling the microphone.
